


Aftermath

by ashleigh



Series: Moments in the lives of Clex [2]
Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:17:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleigh/pseuds/ashleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the tornado Clark and Lex have to deal with the aftermath of sharing secrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

I'm so happy people like this series of stories. I really enjoy writing them, they're so much less stressful than writing a full story so I'm having a lot of fun with them. 

 

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

 

Clark hummed under his breath as he made his way down the street. His backpack was slung over one shoulder as usual and his eyes were constantly on the look out for anyone who might report his whereabouts back to his parents. He was supposed to be staying behind at school with Chloe to help her meet the newspaper deadline, not hanging around outside the back entrance to Smallville's only hotel. 

To his anger, even after Lex had killed Nixon to protect him, his dad was even less of a fan of the younger Luthor, giving Clark no other choice than to sneak around and lie in order to spend five uninterrupted minutes with his best friend. He was busy scuffing his foot against the gravel when Lex pulled up in his newly acquired sports car, looking all together out of place, although Lex always looked out of place in Smallville. 

"Hey Clark." He greeted the teenager, pulling his business bag from the passenger seat and locking the door with a click of a button. 

"Hey Lex." He answered, hitching his bag higher and smiling. 

"How was school?"

Clark shrugged and followed Lex up the wooden staircase up to the first floor of the hotel. "It's nearly summer holidays so all my teachers are just piling on the homework." He muttered, taking the now familiar path to Lex's room. 

He'd been surprised when he'd found out Lex was staying at the local hotel while the castle was being rebuilt, he'd half expected Lex to stay down in Metropolis and take the helicopter to work every morning. 

"How's work?"

Lex grunted and fished the keys out of his pocket, pushing the door open with his hip. Clark pulled a face when he entered the room and saw a pile of dirty clothes on the cheap plastic chair by the wardrobe. Lex clearly wasn't handling not having a maid very well. Lex didn't seem to be handling life in general very well at the moment. 

His usually pale skin was sallow with a slightly grey tinge, while dark circles had appeared under his eyes. He also looked like he'd lost weight recently and Clark realized he hadn't seen the other man eat anything other than coffee since the storm and Lionel's accident. 

As soon as they entered the room, Lex threw his business bag in the bed with Clark's backpack following it quickly.

"I'm having a shower." Lex announced, toeing off his shoes and undoing the buttons of his cuffs.

"I'll entertain myself by reading your emails." Clark teased, nodding to Lex's laptop. Lex snorted and disappeared into the tiny bathroom. 

Clark sighed and kicked his own shoes off before sitting on the edge of the hotel bed. Clark could sleep almost anywhere and even he thought the bed was horrible so he could only imagine what Lex must think of it. He sighed and leaned back until he was lying down, closing his eyes and focusing on the soothing sounds of the shower. 

Ever since Nixon and the tornado, everything between them had been different. They were closer than ever, closer than Clark had ever been with anyone and he couldn't help but think they shared something special now, something intimate. Lex was one of three people in the entire world who knew his secret. Neither of them had mentioned the difference between them although he was sure Lex was feeling it too. The shower turned off and Clark allowed himself to doze off while waiting for Lex. 

"Comfortable there?" 

Clark didn't bother open his eyes and smirked, "Not really, this bed is awful." 

When he opened his eyes Lex was staring down at him in amusement. He was wearing a loose white shirt and comfortable slacks, Clark's stomach doing a flip at the sight. The shower had done wonders for the older man; he was looking much more bright eyed and alert than he had fifteen minutes ago.

"How's your dad Lex?" He asked softly, not sure whether or not he should ask. 

Lex sighed and pulled a face before walking around to the side of the bed Clark wasn't spread out on and sat down. His shoulders slumped and Clark immediately cursed himself for asking. He should have known better, Lex didn't like talking about his father at the best of times. 

"Being more of a bastard than usual." He answered eventually, rubbing his face tiredly. 

Clark smiled sympathetically while pushing himself up into a sitting position and leaning with his back against the wall, trying to think of something comforting to say. He settled with resting his hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezing gently. Lex sighed and shuffled back, kicking his legs up onto the bed and sitting next to Clark. 

"How much longer until the castle is rebuilt?" He asked, looking forward to the day when he didn't have to hang out in seedy hotel rooms. 

"Two weeks."

"Shit." 

"Yeah." 

The part where their thighs were touching felt almost unbearably warm to Clark and he was acutely aware he was sat in bed with his very male best friend who had recently been making his heart beat faster whenever they were in the same room. 

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you!" He announced suddenly, causing Lex to startle slightly. 

"Hmmm?" 

"During the tornado, Lana's car got picked up by the twister, she was a hundred feet up in the air and I saved her." He begun, excited about finally being able to share this with someone. "I think.... I think I flew, Lex."

He was hesitant about telling his parents, they were always so nervous and scared whenever something new happened to him, he didn't know how they'd handle flying. The older man's eyes went wide and he twisted around until he was facing Clark. 

"Are you telling me you can fly?" He asked hesitantly, as though afraid he'd misheard. 

"Maybe, I'm not sure if it was an adrenaline rush kinda thing or if it's something I can learn to control." 

Lex started at him for a moment before biting his lip and hesitating. "Would you be open to exploring your abilities more? Maybe I could help?" 

Clark knew what was making his friend hesitate; he didn't want Clark to think he was trying to turn him into a science experiment. 

"I would. I mean I know my parents want me to just try and be as normal as possible but I think knowing as much about my abilities as I can, can only be a good thing right?" 

"Knowledge is power Clark. You should always know as much about yourself and what you're capable of as possible. That why no one can use it against you." Lex told him, watching the younger mans face closely. "Is there anything that can hurt you? Physically at least?" 

"There's only one thing I know of, the green meteor rocks that came down with my ship. Nothing else can touch me. As far as I can tell, as I get older I just get stronger, at this point even bullets just leave bruises." Clark admitted. 

"What effect do they have on you?" Lex asked, not fully hiding his worry. 

"Within a certain distance I feel dizzy and weak but the closer I get the worse it gets. Stomach cramps, my muscles ache and I feel like my head is going to explode. Of course I haven't tested it but I'm pretty sure it would kill me if I was exposed to enough of it for long enough." He suppressed a shiver at the memory of his past exposures to the rocks. 

He'd never had to really worry about anything his entire life. He never got sick, never hurt himself and it was scary having something that could seriously hurt him. 

"Wait didn't you tell me Lana has a necklace made of the meteor rock?" 

"Yeah she does. I always assumed the reason I felt so stupid and weak kneed around her was cos I had a crush on her, turns out its because she's got poisonous jewelry." 

"Are you positive most of it isn't just normal teenage stupidity around a pretty girl?" Lex teased, ruffling Clark's hair playfully. 

"I'm pretty certain. I mean now that we actually spend time together, I've realized I liked the fantasy of being with Lana more than I like the reality ya know?" 

"What about Chloe? An idiot could see she likes you."

"I thought there could be more between us, that's why I invited her to prom but I was wrong and now our friendship just isn't what was." Clark shrugged, feeling the guilty twist in his stomach at the thought. Chloe hadn't actually said anything but she'd been cold towards him since he'd ran off at prom and he couldn't blame her. 

"Well Clark I would offer you some advice but my last girlfriend stole from me and slept with my father." Lex chuckled humorlessly. 

"Victoria was sleeping with Lionel?" Clark pulled and face like he'd smelt something bad, wincing and cause Lex to release a proper laugh. "Why?" 

"My father can be quite charming when he wants or be and I'm told he's not unattractive." 

"I don't think there's enough charm in the world to make Lionel Luthor seem like a good candidate for a relationship, and you're much more attractive than Lionel." Clark answered immediately, not realizing what he was saying until Lex raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed bright pink. Lex was smirking at him, enjoying the suddenly awkward teenager. 

"Oh shut up." Clark muttered, blushing madly and staring at his lap. 

"Maybe that's why it didn't work out with Lana or Chloe, you're looking at the wrong gender." Lex continued to tease lightly.

"Maybe I am." Clark agreed seriously, it wasn't the first time he'd considered it; although it was the first time he'd said it out loud. 

He'd always been just as awkward around men as he was around women. The idea of being with a man was and odd one but then again so was being with a woman. For a while Clark had been worried that maybe being an alien meant he wasn't capable of being sexually attracted to anyone, so he was just happy that wasn't the case. 

"Really? You think you might be attracted to men?" Lex asked softly and Clark was relieved that there wasn't any disgust in his voice. 

Although he should have expected that. He didn't know much about the older mans past but he was willing to bet there wasn't much Lex hadn't seen or done in his younger years. 

"I don't know, I don't know what I am. Don't think it really matters does it? My life is too hectic for a relationship,  
I can't even keep my friendships together lately."

"Isn't that the point of relationships, to share the burden? At least that's what people tell me." 

"Except I can't share the burden can I? Because my burdens aren't the normal homework problems and worrying about what I’m going to do when I finish school." 

"Doesn't mean you should give up, Clark." 

"Look, I've got you to share things with." Clark answered, trying to lighten the mood by nudging Lex's ankle playfully. "You're the only person I don't have to lie to." 

"You don't have to lie to your parents." 

Clark snorted and slipped down the bed until he could bury his head in the pillow. He could feel the warmth coming off the older man, combined with the pleasant smell of Lex's body wash, which he inhaled quietly. He could feel the other mans questioning look and could almost sense the growing smirk. 

"What could Clark Kent, the all American farm boy be lying to his parents about?" Lex asked, beginning to brush his fingers through the boy's thick hair. 

He continued for a moment before he seemed to realize what he was doing and paused. 

"I like it." Clark muttered into the pillow, just loud enough for Lex to hear and thankful for pillow hiding his blush. He waited for the fingers to continue their ministrations before answering. "I may have told my parents I was staying late at school to help Chloe finish the newspaper."

"Naughty boy!" 

He was completely unprepared for the sudden flare of arousal caused by the words and it took his breath away for a second. 

"Dad's gone completely overboard trying to keep me away from you, so I've had to resort to this." 

"Your father treats me like I'm some land baron trying to deflower his virginal milk maid daughter." Lex snorted but Clark could hear the hidden rejection in his voice. 

"Well if that's true he's gonna be thrilled to find out I've spent the afternoon in a seedy hotel room with you."  
Clark had to wonder if that's actually what his dad was afraid of. He certainly acted like it, and he knew how much trouble he'd be in if his parents found out where he really was but he didn't care. He needed this, needed to be able to talk to someone who understood, if he didn't he'd go mad. 

The comfortable silence was broken by Clark's stomach growling hungrily. They froze and looked at each other before breaking down into laughter, Lex resting his forehead on top of Clark's as he chuckled. 

"Do you have to go home or can you stay for dinner?" 

"I can stay." He answered breathlessly.

The constantly changing dynamics between them was making his head spin. He wasn't totally naive; he knew this wasn't normal for friends, even best friends. This touching, intimacy and closeness between them wasn't normal. But whatever was growing between them, Clark was determined to embrace it. 

"Chinese? The place on the corner is open for dinner, I'll go down and get take away." Lex offered and Clark knew from the tightness in his friend’s shoulders that Clark wasn't the one who could feel the rules shifting between them. 

The older man moved towards him for a second before seeming the think better of it and pulling away to climb off the bed, digging into his discarded suit pockets for his wallet and straightening the non existent wrinkles in his pants. 

"Any preference?" 

"I'll eat anything, you know that." 

Lex nodded and shot him a smile before slipping out of the room and leaving Clark feeling surprisingly awkward. He looked at his watch and was thankful to see he had a few more hours before his parents became worried. He tried not to think about how much longer he could get away with sneaking around behind their backs, if he didn't mess up, someone would see him and report back, Smallville was a small town after all. 

And he knew his mum would probably spot the growing closeness between them almost immediately and it was growing. The more time he spent with the older man, the more he wanted to touch him, to feel the warmth of his body. His stomach fluttered at the thought of it. What would Lex's bare skin feel like? He imagined it smooth and soft. His breathing quickened, he could feel the heat building beneath his skin and he forced himself to calm down. 

He was getting ahead of himself, he didn't even know if Lex liked men, he wasn't even sure if he liked men, or if his teenage hormones were simply messing with head, it wouldn't be the first time. What he did know was that he was going to do whatever he could to protect what they had from anything or anyone, his parents included.


End file.
